Ken Giles sent to Triple-A after possibly swearing at A.J. Hinch
Houston Astros closer Ken Giles may have let his emotions get the best of him. After being removed from Tuesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics, Giles appeared to mutter a curse word in the direction of manager A.J. Hinch.
The 27-year-old reliever paid for that Wednesday, as the team decided to send him to the minors.
Last night proves to be a tipping point for the Astros, who demoted Ken Giles to Triple-A Fresno today. This will be Giles' first time in Triple A since before he debuted for the Phillies in June 2014.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) July 11, 2018
Why did Ken Giles swear at A.J. Hinch?
Giles was upset about his performance during the game. Giles entered the contest in the ninth with a 4-0 lead. Giles immediately gave up three straight hits, the last of which brought a run home. That’s when Hinch removed Giles from the game.
As Hinch approached the mound, Giles angrily said something in his direction as he left. On the closeup video, it looks as though Giles says, “[expletive] you, man” as he walks off the mound.
The Athletics would go on to tie up the game and send it into extras. The Astros eventually pulled out the win on one of the most unusual walk-off hits you’ll ever see.
What was Ken Giles’ response after the game?
Giles did not give interviews after the game. He left the stadium before the clubhouse opened to the media, according to the Houston Chronicle.
How did A.J. Hinch respond to Ken Giles’ outburst?
Hinch attempted to downplay the incident. He confirmed that he heard about it, but said he wanted to clarify whether Giles’ words were directed at him before he took further action.
A.J. Hinch on Ken Giles’ volatile exit: “He can let me know if it was directed at me. I didn’t hear anything. And you can certainly understand that I’ll address it. If it turns out it was at me then we’ll talk about it.”
— Matt Young (@Chron_MattYoung) July 11, 2018
If Giles confirms he was swearing at Hinch, the two will “talk about it,” according to Hinch.
Not the first outburst for Ken Giles
Giles hasn’t handled poor performances well in 2018. During a game in May, Giles punched himself in the face after giving up a home run to Gary Sanchez.
What happens next for Ken Giles and A.J. Hinch?
Giles will have to prove he can keep his emotions under control in Triple-A. It’s possible he could work his way back into the team’s good graces moving forward, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see dealt to another team at this point.
– – – – – – –
Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Bucks rookie is down to his last $3.71 as he awaits NBA paycheck
• Ex-UCLA star found dead after posting cryptic YouTube message
• How one LeBron tweet led to a sad day in the sun for LA fans
• Rescued Thai soccer players forced to decline World Cup invite
